


We Blossom like Spring

by ThePretentiousBastard



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Sonia's a closed off mess, Strangers to Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:53:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePretentiousBastard/pseuds/ThePretentiousBastard
Summary: She never would have thought that he  of all people held the key to her heart.
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Sonia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	We Blossom like Spring

There was something about big cities like Hammerlocke that really drew Sonia to them. Maybe it was the bustling and busy atmosphere, or maybe it was the fact that it was impossible to get bored in a town with so much to do. Perhaps it was the way the street lights illuminated the town at this time of night or the sound of her heels clicking down the cobblestone roads. Most of all, it was the fact that people seemed to mind their own business here. Some might say that makes big cities feel lonely, but to Sonia, it was a breath of fresh air. A far cry from Wedgeherst, where everyone knew each other.

It wasn’t like Wedgeherst didn’t have its charm. After all, you always felt safe knowing that the neighbors were always looking out for you. But that had the unfortunate consequence of people not being able to mind their own business. The constant, ‘where are you going?’ ‘What are you doing?’ ‘What did you get from the store today?’ danced around Sonia’s mind. She grimaced. It didn’t help that she felt like an introvert in a sea of extroverts there. Always the unfriendly one. The weird girl, too caught up in her books to be bothered with others. Sonia had basically convinced herself she was a real-life Belle from Beauty and the Beast, forever stuck being the enigma of the town. But here, on the streets of Hammerlocke, she was just another woman, out for a drink to offset the nuisances that were her day to day life.

“Let’s see…” She muttered to herself, eyeing the map on her phone. “It says the best bar in town should be around here, so where is it?” Yamper’s enthusiastic bark caught her off guard as the Pokemon bolted down a discrete set of stairs. She briskly followed the Pokemon until she found it scratching at a set of glass double doors with the name, Fine Wine and Good Time’s printed across the middle. Kneeling down, she muttered a thank you to the Pokemon with a firm rub to the back if it’s head before making her way in. The interior was a cozy mix of warm browns and the occasional splash of maroon on the seats and rugs. Sonia made her way to the front counter, taking a seat at one of the slightly too high bar stools. Yamper jumped up, making itself comfortable in her lap.

“Evening lass, what can I get for you?”

“One Alolan Dream, please.”

The bartender nodded before turning around to mix the drink when Sonia heard someone unceremoniously drop into the bar stool to the right of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a disheveled looking man who reeked of too much booze. Yamper instantly began growling at the man, to which Sonia shushed the Pokemon.

“Hey dollface.”

“...Hello.” Sonia stated in despondence, avoiding eye contact.

“Haven’t seen you around. You from out of town?”

“Yes.”

“Where are ya from?”

“Places.”

“Aw come on, Don’t be like that.”

Sonia grimaced. Of course some prick had to be going out of his way to ruin her night.

“I know. You’re one of those southern Galar girls from the countryside, ain’t ya? Your accents a dead give away.”

There was the sound of the door jingling open again as someone else entered. Sonia instantly glanced their way, hoping that maybe if she tried making conversation with someone else, this drunkard would leave her be. To her surprise, the person who slid onto the bar stool to her left happened to be someone she instantly recognized. Bright teal eyes met azure and the man’s expression lit up.

“Hey, it’s Clever Cogs! Didn’t expect to see you here. Did ya crack the Darkest Day case yet?”

There were two things Sonia knew about Raihan. One, he was Leon’s only rival, and two, he was the gym leader of Hammerlocke. The rest was a mystery. Well except for his social media presence. She wasn’t even subscribed to any of his content and yet his snapchat and Instagram were always in her recommendations, even as a person who didn’t use those websites herself.

She was honestly surprised that he even recognized her at all. They had only had one conversation, if you could even call it that. She asked to see the tapestries in the Hammerlocke vault, he let her, that was it. Regardless, this made things easy for her. If Raihan was willing to chat, then hopefully Mr. Sleazebag would realize he wasn’t needed and piss off.

“It’s Sonia, actually. And no, unfortunately”

Raihan leaned over the table slightly to meet the gaze of the man to Sonia’s left, that smile never faltering.

“Eh mate. How’s it going?”

The man shuffled in his seat before muttering a nervous ‘going great’ and taking off, leaving his seat empty. Sonia watched him go in surprise. That worked too well.

“That guys a regular here. See him all the time.” Raihan began. “He usually sits in that corner there and drinks himself stupid. That and hitting on the girls that come in which I presume he was doing, yeah?”

Sonia paused. “Uh...yeah, I guess. Though you seemed to have scared him off.”  
Raihan shrugged. “Just doing my job. Can’t have people causing a ruckus or bothering the beauties.” Raihan’s wink her way had Sonia rolling her eyes. Ah I see, she thought. So that’s his angle.

The bartender returned with her drink to which Sonia muttered a brief thank you with a tip in hand.

“Ooh, and Alolan Dream? Someone’s celebrating tonight. What’s the special occasion?”

Sonia nursed the beverage. “Nothing really. Just wanted something strong.

The gym leader eyed her drink briefly, gears shifting in his mind. “Oi, bartender.”

The bartender beamed. “Raihan! How goes it? 

“Oh you know. Same shit different day, am I right? Run the gym, manage the vault, yada yada. What about you?” Raihan quickly smirked, a playful teasing tone coming to his voice.” How’s the girl?”

The bartenders cheeks lit up red as he scratched the back of his head. “Uh well, we’re going good, you know. I still feel like she’s totally out of my league though. I mean I’m kind of a bore. Especially compared to someone like you.”

“Aw come off it. If she wanted me, she would have asked me, right? You’re a good looking guy, and you mix drinks so that’s a plus. And mate, I stan for your food. Like legit. Who doesn’t like a man who can cook?”

Sonia watched the exchange diligently. Raihan’s charisma seemed so effortless. He gave out compliments as if it was second nature. And they seemed to be from the heart. With looks like his and charm to boot, it was no surprise how successful his social media was. Watching him build up someone’s confidence brought a smile to her face. It sure beat going home to her gran who seemed to do nothing but tear her down everytime she could.

“I guess that’s true.” The bartender paused, seemingly realizing that he did in fact have a job to do. So what can I get you?”

“I’ll get what she’s having.”

Sonia paused at the mention of herself. She eyed her drink before eyeing Raihan quizzically.  
What was he trying to pull?

“What? I didn’t know what I wanted and yours looks good so why not?”

The bartender returned with another Alolan Dream to which Raihan thanked him with a hefty tip.

“Aw come on mate. You know I can’t accept all this.”

“Of course you can. Go buy your girl something pretty.”

A smile crept across the man's face as he humbly accepted the tip before taking his leave. Raihan took a drink from the beverage before nodding in approval. “It’s good. You got good taste, Clever Cogs.”

Sonia raised her eyebrow at the use of the nickname yet again.

“Oh sorry. Sonia. Sonia Clever Cogs.”

The woman in question narrowed her eyes as an annoyed smile crept across her face. Before she could stop it, a laugh escaped from her throat. Damn it, was his charm working on her?

“So, still lingering around this old relic of a city, eh? Ya love it that much already?”

Sonia shook her head. “No, I’m just sticking around for a while. I was hoping to see the vault a few more times before I go.”

“What for? It’s just a few tapestries. It’s not going to change no matter how many times you head up there.”

Sonia knew this of course. Truth be told, she just wanted an excuse to avoid going back to the hotel. It was quiet in there with just her and Yamper. Quiet and lonely. Maybe big cities were a little lonely after all. But it’s not like she could go home either. Not with her grandmother there who would probably nag her before she could even get through the door. She’d rather be lonely than deal with that.

“Just a few tapestries? Says the overseer of Galar’s most prized treasures.”

Raihan shrugged. “Well, they’re a bore. I’d rather be spending my time at the library thanks.”

The gym leader watched as Sonia nearly choked on her drink. He reached over slightly as if to pat her on the back but hesitated.

“The library? Sonia stammered, finally getting some of her voice back.

“Uh yeah?” Raihan stated more as a question, clearly looking for Sonia to explain her surprise.

“You just don’t seem like the type.”

Raihan folded his arms in an attempt to mimic being offended.

“Why? Cuz I’m braindead fuckboy?”

Sonia’s eyes widened. “No, no. I didn’t mean anything like that.” She paused when Raihan laughed at her.

“Relax, I’m just having you on. But yeah. Believe it or not, I read. Can’t always judge a book by it’s cover.”

Sonia raised an eyebrow at him. Was he telling the truth, or was he saying what he thought she might like to hear? She couldn’t deny that she looked like the bookworm type. Was he just flirting with her? Alright, she thought. If you're so book sauve...

“What kind of books do you read typically?”

She watched as Raihan leaned against the counter, deep in thought.

“Well, honestly I’ll read just about anything. Sci Fi, Horror, Non fiction. Good stories aren’t limited to any particular genre. Though if I had to pick a favorite...maybe historical fiction? Actually, maybe it’s literary fiction. But personal essays are good too…”

Sonia let Raihan go off on his reading tangent. He was a far better socializer than her clearly, being that he could hold a conversation seemingly by himself. And boy could he talk. She didn’t mind though. So she just listened to this new found information about the gym leader and nursed her drink to completion. So his money is where his mouth is. He reads afterall. 

The gym leader paused, a realization dawning on him that he had clearly been hogging the conversation. 

“Sorry, sorry.” He laughed. “I can talk your ear off if you let me. Especially if it’s something I've been obsessing over. Next time just tell me to shut up, alright?”

“You’re a lot like Leon in that way.”

Sonia watched as for a brief moment, Raihan’s smile faltered. Shit, did she say something wrong? To be fair, she didn’t know much about Raihan’s relationship to Leon aside from their rivalry. But it seemed so friendly. Though the media only showed what they wanted you to see so that didn’t mean anything. Maybe there was some bad blood there.

Quickly trying to salvage the situation, Sonia asked the bartender for another drink. “Actually, make that two. Can’t leave dragon boy hanging.” The bartender ducked back behind the bar shelves to prepare two more drinks as Raihan tilted his head to the side in question. Sonia found the gesture oddly cute. immediately cursing herself for thinking so.

Another similarity between the two, she thought, remembering how Leon used to do the same when they still hung out. Though she chose to keep the comparisons to herself. The bartender quickly returned, placing two more drinks on the counter in front of their respective persons. Sonia quickly handed out a tip to cover both drinks, smiling at the gym leader.

“This one’s on me.”

Raihan’s gaze shifted back and forth between Sonia and the drink before a smirk crept across his face. He took a quick sip of the drink before muttering his appreciation.

“Trying to get me drunk, are you?”

Sonia felt her confidence begin to soar. Or was that the booze? Liquid courage, they called it. Oh well, she thought. Too late to take back the words now.

“I don’t know, Raihan. Are you trying to flirt with me?”

The gym leader laughed. “What? No. What’s giving you that idea?”

“Hm, let’s see. You come over, save me from some sleazebag, and now you're making every effort to converse with me. Might I add that I’m some random person you don’t even know.”

“Has it ever crossed your mind that I just like talking to people? Besides, I thought you were Leon’s girl or something.”

Raihan paused in surprise as Sonia made a scene of pretending to vomit her guts out at the very thought of that.

“Yeah, no. I’ll take the sleazebag, thanks.”

“Damn. You hate him that much?”

“What? I couldn’t possibly hate him as much as you do.”

Raihan paused slightly, gears turning. “Hate’s a strong word. I prefer to say I’m not a fan.”

“Ah, so the media is lying then. They always paint you guys as being buddy buddy.”

“More or less. It’s mostly the chairman, honestly. He just wants people to see what he wants them to see.”

Sonia let the silence linger momentarily, trying to figure out how to navigate the conversation. “Working around him must be tough.”

Raihan seemed to mull over his response briefly. “Mm, not really. We keep it professional. Don’t step on each other’s toes. Read the scripts, say the lines, and then we’re on our way.”

“But doesn’t it get hard always being compared to him? Always feeling like your second fiddle to Mr. Perfect.”

Raihan paused, taking a long sip from his drink, clearly stalling in what he wanted to say. That was an answer in itself.

“Honestly…” Raihan began. “It’s not even that. Sure losing to him sucks big time, but I can live with that. What kills me is how fake he is.” 

Sonia picked up on the venom in the gym leader’s voice at the word fake.

“He’s like...this unstoppable force. And that's fine. I can appreciate his merit as a trainer. But what I can’t stand is how much of a cartoon character he is. He’s all champion times and Charizard poses and that’s it.”

Sonia perked up as Raihan’s rant began. If he was trying to hold back his obvious disdain for the champion, he wasn’t winning any awards for it.

“And I know it’s probably not his fault. Rose is probably the one telling him how to act but, god is it insufferable. It’s like, you’re a person, dude. Fucking act like it. I mean, when people see that, they run with it, think everyone in the public eye is like that. It’s like we’re all just these one note caricatures of human beings with no soul and no emotions of our own.”

Raihan continued. “Like I get it. I’m an influencer so I know why he wants to look perfect. And yes, Rose makes me smile and wave for the camera, even when I don’t want to, but aside from that, I try to be as genuine as possible. But, with Leon, it’s ultimately a lie. He’s not perfect. I mean who is? So to parade yourself around like some flawless person is just disingenuous. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t even want to. To sit there and lie to people who look up to me like I’m some perfect person with a perfect life. I hate that shit. I just know that there’s some self conscious kid out there, looking at Mr. Champion Times and wondering why they are so unhappy while his happiness is so effortless. It’s effortless because it’s not real. Sometimes people, and especially kids need to see that it’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to not be good at everything. It’s okay to have a bad day and not feel guilty about it. And I feel like people like Leon, they just make it so much harder for them.”

Well that was...something. Sonia stared unblinking at the man before her who had just unraveled what seemed to be his pent up frustrations. More importantly, why did those frustrations mimic her own so well? Whatever the reason, she tried not to think about it.

Sonia nodded enthusiastically before holding up her now empty glass.  
“Cheers to that. You trying to rival the chairman in epic speeches with that?”

Raihan paused, realizing he had gone on a rant again. Rather than apologize, he simply smiled and clicked his drink against her’s, laughing at the fact that she had no beverage left to cheer to.

“Whelp, since this has now become a drink and shit on the champion party, spill it. What's the deal with you? Weren’t you guys childhood friends or something?”

“Oh sure, we were. We were even rivals at one point, believe it or not. Or course that was until he became champion and now he’s suddenly too good for old Sonia. He says, ‘Oh this changes nothing.’ and ‘Oh we’re still best friends and rivals no matter what.’ and then poof. Nothing. No calls, no texts. Just nothing.”

“Did you ever try reaching out?”

“Try? Did I try? Oh I don’t know. Does texting and calling into the empty void count as trying?”

“Damn. He ghosted you?”

“No, he fucking Gengared the shit out of me, that’s what he did.” Sonia paused when Raihan burst out laughing. She had to laugh herself.

“Oh but it gets better. One day he just shows up at the Wedgherst Pokemon Lab with his little brother’s best friend. First time I saw him in years and you know how he introduces me? He says ‘I like the way she cooks.’ Like are you fucking kidding me? I was his rival for fuck sake and that’s what he says?”

Raihan looked as though his eyes were about to pop out. He leaned into his hand in disbelief, a shocked laugh escaping him  
“Shit, he said that? That’s fucked up. That shit would get you cancelled online. That’s like basic stuff. Don’t value a woman solely for her cooking.”

“Uh Raihan?”

Azure and teal eyes simultaneously glanced up towards the bartender who was now watching them as he finished wiping down the countertop.

“As much as you and your friend here are welcome anytime, we’re kind of closing now.”  
Raihan paused before breaking out in a laugh.

“Mate, I’m gonna tell you what I told her.” He stated, gesturing towards Sonia.  
“Tell me to shut up, and I’ll shut up. You should have been kicking us out ages ago!”

Raihan left another large tip on the counter before sliding off the barstool.  
“Oi! Now what’s all this for?” The bartender exclaimed, to which Raihan just laughed. 

“Just felt like being generous.”

Meanwhile, Sonia struggled between climbing down from the bar stool and balancing a now past out Yamper in her arms. “Need a hand, luv?”

The woman paused, eyeing the gym leader’s outstretched hand. She met his warm gaze and her stomach flipped. And inwardly, she once again cringed for allowing herself to have a reaction to this man.

“Uh…” Her eyes darted between Yamper to any surfaces she could use for support without disturbing the sleeping Pokemon, finding none. Finding herself defeated she muttered, “Yeah, thanks.”

Raihan gently tugged her off the stool, using his free hand to steady her as she landed. To that Sonia was grateful. It sure beat collapsing into his chest and the awkwardness that would surely ensue from that.

“Alright. You two enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Sonia turned to offer a thank you to the bartender only to freeze in horror at the smirk that crept across his face. Her horror only intensified once she realized she was still holding Raihan’s hand. Heat crept across her face as she quickly let go. Raihan was the first to laugh, followed by the bartender. Sonia glared back and forth between the two before inevitably giving in and laughing at herself. Why did his laugh have to be so contagious?

Sonia and Raihan made their way out the door into the crisp Hammerlocke night. Sonia stretched before placing a hand on the gym leader’s shoulder.

“Well now that we’ve been kicked out of there, where’s the next destination, oh great tamer of dragons?”

Raihan raised an eyebrow at the title. Sonia was beginning to realize she was starting to like that a little too much. “Uh, my destination is home. As for you…where are you staying actually?”

“Hammerlocke Hotel.”

“Damn, you have quite the walk ahead of you then, huh? Want me to call you a taxi?”

“I could crash at your place.” Sonia inwardly cringed as the word vomit spilled out unable to take it back. The amused smirk that graced the man’s face made her struggle between hating her words and loving them.

“Trying to get into my pants, Clever Cogs?”

Maybe, she thought. Was she really? I mean sleeping with someone like Raihan certainly seemed appealing. But it really didn’t feel like she was after that at all. “What? No.” She began. “Why can’t we just be a couple of platonic friends having a sleepover?”

Sonia paused at her use of the word friends. To be honest, it’s not like they were really friends. They barely even knew each other which raised an even greater question. Why in the hell was she trying to invite herself over his place?

Maybe it was the loneliness she felt inside. It’s not like she had much in the way of close friends her age. Leon had held that role but that was a thing of the past. Not only that, but Raihan seemed to get her in ways people who knew her all her life didn’t. Maybe she was moving too fast with this friend thing though. And more importantly, was she even looking for friendship? Before she could reevaluate her decisions, that warm, charming smile sealed her fate.

“Alright, alright. You can crash at my place, this once.” Raihan turned to release his Flygon from it’s pokeball before turning back to Sonia. “Platonically.” He emphasized. Sonia felt her heart flutter at that. Oh no.

The inside of Raihan’s apartment was surprisingly plain. Sonia didn’t know what she expected but this wasn’t it. The apartment was small, but cozy with four rooms. A living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. It was minimalist with warm accents that gave it an inviting aura. A couple of potted plants decorated the living area with furnishing that was sleek and easy to clean. Practical, she thought.

“You hungry? I’m sure I have leftover something in here.”

“No thanks. You’re good.”

Sonia looked out towards the balcony at the Hammerlocke lights. The city looked like something out of a medieval movie, contrasting with the sleek look of the apartment interior. Yamper launched itself under the nearby coffee table, landing on the soft rug with a thump. Sonia smiled. Clearly, it was done with the excitement for the night.

Grabbing a nearby remote off of the coffee table, Sonia turned on the television. She began flipping through the channels, seeing if something caught her interest. Cooking shows, Documentaries, commercials, more commercials...

She was interrupted by someone clearing their throat next to her. She glanced over to find a glass of water being handed to her but that wasn’t what caught her attention. She wasn’t sure how long she had been flipping through channels but in that time, Raihan had completely dressed down for the night, sporting a loose black tee shirt and red basketball shorts. His iconic headband was also absent causing Sonia to do a double take. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him without it. What’s more was that his dreads were down, coming slightly past his chin showing off just how long they were. Even in scrubs, he looked like a model. If she thought he looked good before, then this was just... unfair.

Raihan raised an eyebrow in amusement, clearly catching on to the woman failing to hide that she was checking him out. Sonia sputtered, realizing she had been staring like an idiot. 

“See something you like?”

She quickly grabbed the water being offered, heat rising to her face. Damn it, damn it, damn it! She knew she was blushing and judging by Raihan’s reaction, he could see it. She was really failing at hiding her attraction. Sonia grimaced as a looming dread came over her. Yep, that was attraction, alright. And not the safe for work kind either. Platonicness her ass. She was failing at being woke, that's for sure. She needed to change the subject. Something, anything.

“You know, I just realized I’ve got nothing to sleep in.” Good job Sonia, she thought sarcastically as she was clearly digging her own grave at record speeds.

“Guess you’re sleeping naked then.”

That earned him a light shove on the shoulder as he laughed.

“Alright, just kidding. You can borrow some of my clothing although there’s no way it’ll fit you.”

“I’ll take it over sleeping naked.”

“Be back in a sec.”

Sonia watched as Raihan headed back towards the bedroom before turning her attention back towards the tv as she heard a familiar voice ring through the screen.

“So champion Leon. I heard that you endorsed not one but two challengers this season. Can you tell us about that?”

“Yeah, so funny story about that. I had actually decided I was going to endorse them before I got back to Wedgherst but I kept that a secret just to mess with them.” Leon laughed. “My brother was all, ‘Please Lee.’like begging. It was brilliant!”

The reporter chimed in. “Aw don’t you think that’s a little mean?”

“It’s all in good fun.”

Lier, Sonia thought. He knew he was completely reluctant to endorse his little brother and his friend when he got back home. Even made them battle twice just to be sure they were ready. What was the point of lying about that?

“Gross. Change the channel.”

Sonia paused at the immature whining that came from the man behind her. When did he get behind her so quick? And more importantly, why was he so close? Was he even that close? Or was it just her?

“Here.”

Sonia eyed the articles of clothing being offered to her. A blue sweatshirt and black sweatpants. It was clear they were many sizes too big just from looking at them but what options did she have?

She took the clothing and made her way into the bathroom. Clicking on the light revealed a modestly decorated and immaculately cleaned bathroom. Much like the rest of the apartment, it was sleek and modern. Well Raihan certainly has a preferred style, she thought before putting the clothing on the closed toilet seat.

She had to admire the cleanliness of the place. With how dirty bathrooms could get, it was surprising to see one so clean. Especially considering Raihan’s motif of sandstorms. She could vividly remember seeing Leon and Raihan in an interview together shortly after a battle caked in sand. It looked as though Leon would have to take years to get all the sand out of his hair. Yet there wasn’t a sand particle in sight here. And people say men don’t clean, she thought.

As she began undressing, she paused in front of the vanity mirror, questioning whether she should leave her bra on or not. On one hand, sleeping in it seemed rather unpleasant. But on the other hand, she was alone with a man in his apartment. Not wearing a bra just seemed like adding insult to injury. Though, again, she had already gone this far to end up crashing in the apartment of a man who was more or less a stranger. Even if he was an incredibly polite and hospitable stranger. Oh well, she thought. I’m already in this deep. Might as well go all the way as she tossed the bra to the side.

Once fully dressed, Sonia eyed herself in the mirror. She watched as the shirt slid down her shoulder even after she had pulled it back into place. Yep, definitely too big. Not to mention that the pants made her feel like a Scrafty, desperately trying to keep them up. Leaning against the sink, she struggled to figure out how and why she had gotten herself into this situation. Here she was, in the apartment of a relative stranger. A very attractive stranger at that, wearing his goddamn clothes for crying out loud. A stranger who had been able to open her heart and make it flutter with relative ease. Had she let her guard down? Had enough lonely nights found her ending up cuddling up to someone she barely even knew? And what about Raihan? Was this his intention the whole time? But he’d been nothing but nice to her with no strings attached to his kindness. He had even offered to call her a cab. And then there was the ‘platonically’ statement. Goddammit, why did she have to want to bark up the tree of someone without any intent on sleeping with her? Dropping her head, she sighed deeply, giving up the fight. In the honorable words of a drunken Nessa, she thought. Yolo bitch! She took one more glance to make sure everything was in order, or at least as in order as it was going to be before leaving the bathroom.

She made her way back to the living room noticing that the tv had been shut off. She glanced back into the kitchen where Raihan seemed to be doing something before clicking the tv back on.

As if on cue, Raihan popped up from behind the counter with a lazy annoyance in his eyes. “So...you going to sleep or…”

“What? The night’s still young. Got some popcorn in there?”

“Still young?” Raihan checked the time on his phone. “It’s half past midnight.”

“See. Still young.”

The gym leader simply laughed and shook his head. Raihan made his way over to one of the couches and began unfolding it into a guest bed. Very practical, Sonia thought.

“Alright, do whatever you want but I’ve got work tomorrow so I gotta sleep.”

“When do you have to get up?”

“Mm...usually around seven.”  
Sonia dropped herself on the couch not being used as a bed and patted the spot next to her, signalling Raihan to sit.

“Come on. Hang with me till one?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“Sonia...”

“I’ll cook breakfast tomorrow. I make good pancakes.”

“....”

With a defeated sigh, the gym leader dropped himself on the couch next to a now elated Sonia who was throwing her hands up in celebration.

“Those better be some damn good pancakes.”

Sonia stuck out her tongue in response. Meanwhile, her inner voice screamed at her for offering to make the man a literal breakfast in the morning. Oh yeah, good work Sonia. Marching yourself into housewife territory real quick. And feminism marches on without her, she thought.

Raihan simply rolled his eyes, a pout forming on his face. She really needed him to not pout like that. It was too cute.

Sonia turned her attention back towards the tv where somehow, Leon was still being interviewed.

“Ugh, the press likes him way too much.” Raihan began as he grabbed the remote, changing the channel. The next thing Sonia knew, she was staring face to face with her grandmother on the other side of the screen. She must have made an audible noise, for Raihan jumped in surprise, eyeing her quizzically.

Oh, Sonia thought, the gears turning in her head. It’s a documentary. “False alarm.” She laughed. “I thought I was going to get nagged again.”

“Is your grandma really that bad?”

“Uh, is terminal illness that bad?”

The laugh that escaped the gym leader’s throat had Sonia laughing as well. His laugh really was contagious. 

“Gran is… I mean Professor Magnolia. She’s the kind of person who's all about tough love. Thing is, sometimes I think she forgets the love part. I mean I know she just wants what’s best for me but, maybe I know what’s best for me better than she does.”

“Mm, I feel that. My parents are a lot like that.”

Sonia paused, her gaze now fixated on the gym leader. Inwardly, she cringed, realizing how excited she seemed to become from the possibility of learning a new fact about the man.

“How so?” She asked.

Raihan folded his arms, leaning back into the seat.

“Well...they’re kind of traditional. They have this deep-seated idea of what’s right and what's wrong, which isn’t bad in and of itself, but if you stray from the path they believe is right they kind of see it as a moral failing of your character.”  
Sonia half wondered when she had started clutching one of the nearby pillows in her lap, or why she was clutching it so tightly.

“They must be hard on you, huh?”

“...”

Sometimes silence speaks volumes, Sonia thought.

“...I ran away from home before.”

Oh…

Sonia’s eyes widened. “You did?”

“Yeah. Got into a real ugly fight with my dad. Like real bad. We ended up getting physical. I think I was around 15 at the time. He found out that I had been dating a guy at the time and he...he called my a faggot and I kind of just snapped. Just blacked out.”

“....No way. Why would he even say that?”

“I don’t know. It’s probably a lot of things. His problematic views of gay people, his views on what manhood is. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t the overly masculine son he had hoped for. I mean, deep down, as hard as it is to say this, I know he said it because he cared. To him, he genuinely thought he was helping me by trying to get me to stop ‘sinning.”

“Not that this even matters but...are you gay?”  
Raihan thought about it for a moment.

“I wouldn’t say I’m gay. But I know I’m not straight. Bi maybe? I don’t know. I don’t really try to label it. I like people. Guys or girls.”

Sonia took a sip of her water, trying to figure out how to handle this new development. “I’m sorry that happened to you…”

Raihan met her gaze, an appreciative smile gracing his face.

“It’s in the past now. I appreciate it though.”

“Yeah, traditionalism can be difficult.”

“Is your family traditional?”

“Are you kidding? I’m from Wedgeherst, the most rural place you can get. Things are as backwaters as backwaters can go there.”

Raihan leaned in closer, seemingly signalling for Sonia to keep talking. Taking note, Sonia continued.

“On the surface, Wedgeherst is a peaceful, quaint town. The people are friendly, everyone knows each other, it seems perfect. But underneath all that hospitality is an ugly us against them kind of ideology. People there, they like people who are like them. People who fall into the categories they want them to. And when someone doesn’t fall in line, the whole town is going to talk about it. There was a girl there that got pregnant in her teens and the whole town dragged that poor girl’s name through the mud.”

“Christ, it’s that bad?”

“Oh yeah. You’re from the big city, so things are different up here. But down there, it’s like a whole other world. Of course, I never really fit in. I tried, believe me. But it was no use. There was no pleasing anyone. I couldn’t confide in anyone either. The neighbors would gossip and my gran, well… she would always say, ‘That’s life, Sonia.’ It’s not like she fully agreed with the rhetoric of the town, but she wasn’t sympathetic when Leon and I became the talk of the town.”

“Talk of the town?” Raihan tilted his head to the side.

“Yeah we...it’s a long story.”

“And I’ve got time to kill.”

“I thought you had to sleep.”

“Well I dumped all my angst on you so it wouldn’t be fair to bail out now. Unless it’s a sour spot. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s alright.” Sonia took a deep breath.

“So, remember how Leon and I were friends as kids? Well the people of Wedgeherst, they had different ideas. Basically, for as long as we knew each other, our neighbors were trying to play matchmaker with us. They had their preconceived idea about who we were and what roles we were supposed to play. Leon was the big dumb hero of the town, and I was his childhood friend, the girl next door pining for the attention of an idiot, too dumb to realize I liked him.”

Sonia took another breath as Raihan watched her silently encouraging her to continue. So she did.

“For a while, we ignored them. We just did our thing. But then puberty and hormones happened and...things got a little...weird. In hindsight, we never did end up liking each other in that way. But after being force fed this girlfriend, boyfriend stuff for so long and coupling that with confusing teenage emotions, we kind of ended up dating.”

“Kind of?”

“I barely consider it dating really. We still hung out like usual. But we kind of forced ourselves to be ‘romantic’ as awkward as it was. And all the while, my gran never so much as tried to intervene. I know she saw that we were a runaway train about to head off a cliff, but she did nothing. No guidance. Just, nothing.”

“So we did that for a while. Nothing special. Occasionally we’d force ourselves to hold hands or kiss because that's what we thought we were supposed to do. I never really liked doing romantic stuff with Leon. I mean, if anything, he was like a brother to me. Kissing him just felt wrong. But the neighbors had beaten it into our heads that if we liked each other enough to be friends, why not date? So we just went along with it. We were just a couple of dumb, confused kids. We didn’t know any better.”

“We were the heroic champion and his girlfriend to the town. Just a couple of cute play things that the elders could fon over like we were this perfect couple. I just wish someone in that town stopped us. Stopped us from holding up that facade. Stopped us before we did something we couldn’t take back.”

Sonia paused, hearing the gym leader’s breathing hitch slightly. She turned to face him just as a drawn out exhale escaped him.

“You guys had sex, didn’t you.” He stated matter of factly rather than questioning. A humorless laugh escaped Sonia’s throat.

“Yep. And it wasn’t even that bad. Awkward as all hell, but that was to be expected from a couple of clueless virgins. But it changed everything. For all those years, through the hand holding and the fake romance, Leon was still always that wide eyed kid who proclaimed I was his best friend five minutes after meeting me as kids. But after that...things changed. Everything changed. I was forced to realize that Leon wasn’t that kid anymore. And I wasn’t the kid I thought I was. And...I just kind of had an epiphany. I realized that there was no going back to being those two innocent kids with not a care in the world. We were Leon and Sonia, a growing man and a growing woman and...I realized in that moment that I couldn’t live that lie. We had finally achieved couple status and I couldn’t take it. But I couldn’t go back either. We had destroyed our friendship for a fake romance. And...I kind of had a breakdown.”

“Like a crying after sex, breakdown?”

“More like a bawling my eyes out while Leon tries to figure out what he did wrong.”

“...Shit.”

“...It wasn’t his fault. I wish I told him that back then, but I was too far gone at that point. As you could imagine, it was all downhill from there. In the end, we stopped talking entirely. Leon spent most of his time in Wyndon, working for Rose, and I buried myself in assisting my gran with research.”

“So is that where you guys are at right now?”

“Well, not exactly. Remember, I said I tried to reach out to him. I really did. I gave it some time, forgave myself, forgave him, hell, I even forgave the neighbors for putting us on that crash course to begin with but, he never answered. For years there was silence on his part. And then suddenly, he just...shows up one day at the lab with Hop’s friend. I tried one more time. I tried to get him alone so we could talk, maybe make amends. But he took off as fast as he could. I know he’s probably still going through some trauma from our relationship but that just hurt, you know. But that’s that. He made his choice. And I made mine. I’ve moved on.”

Silence filled the room. Sonia glanced toward Raihan who was so still, he must have been holding his breath. With a long, drawn out exhale, the man seemed to sink into the couch.

“Wow...that’s...wow.”

“So, that’s the story of my life.” Sonia stated with a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Man. I wish I had more booze for you right now. Would take some of the edge off.” Raihan laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

“Eh, it’s not needed. Sure it hurts. Probably is never not going to but, it’s in the past. And this is the first time I’ve been able to talk about it without crying, so I say I’m doing alright.”

“...You’re tough, you know that?”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”

“No really. Carrying all that baggage and still being able to move forward all on your own, that’s impressive.”  
Sonia glanced down at the cup in her hand, swirling the remaining contents around as a distraction.  
“You did the gym challenge right? We should battle sometime.”  
Sonia sputtered. “W-what?”

“What? You’ve got a strong will power about you. I bet that translates to the battlefield too.”  
There he goes again, she thought. Dealing out compliments at the drop of a hat.

“Okay. Maybe.” She muttered with a smile.

“Are you saying that because you want to, or because you know that’s what I want to hear?”  
Sonia took pause, glancing up at the man next to her.

“Can’t it be both?”

“Yeah, yeah, it can be both. So long as it’s on your own terms, right?”

Sonia stared into those teal orbs for far longer than was necessary. You can’t fall in love in a day, she thought. But you certainly can catch feelings in a couple of hours. With all her barriers down and her heart on her sleeve, Sonia sighed, taking her first major step back into dating. 

“You know, I could kiss you right about now.”

“...Eh?”

“I said-”

“I heard what you said.”

The two stared at one another in silence, waiting for either of them to make a move.

“...How many drinks did you have again?”

“Oh my god. Just two! I’m not drunk, Raihan. And if you keep caring so much about my wellbeing, I’m really going to have to kiss you.”

“What happened to that ‘platonic sleepover?’”

“I don’t know. Life doesn’t always work the way you thought it would.”

There was a brief pause.

“I asked you before. And I’ll ask you again.” He started. “Are you trying to get into my pants, Clever Cogs?”

Sonia dropped her gaze, feeling heat rising to her face again. “Maybe after a date or two. If you're up for it that is.” She didn’t even think to try to meet Raihan’s gaze, feeling certain that her face would melt if she did so. “So...can I kiss you? Because I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any interest in you right now.”

A gentle hand lifted her chin, forcing her to look up. Raihan watched her with a small, curious smile as if posing a question. Any hint of teasing or mocking was absent. Those eyes, now full of warmth and awe were something Sonia felt like she could get lost in for hours. Sealing the deal, she nodded.

“...Well, if you insist, why not?”

Sonia leaned in first, propping herself up by wrapping her arms around the back of Raihan’s shoulders. She could really notice the size difference between the two of them this way. The gym leader leaned in, closing the last few inches between them, pressing their lips together. They were softer than she expected. Sonia became aware of the arms now wrapping around the small of her back, pulling her closer. She leaned herself entirely into that mountain of a man, resting herself against his chest.

The kiss itself was brief and uncertain. Neither person made a move to escalate things further. So instead, Sonia found herself resting her forehead against his, getting lost in those sparkling, teal eyes.

“So…”Raihan broke the silence. “I guess this is the part where I ask you out.”

Sonia smiled, mimicking the gym leader. “Sure. And I guess this is the past where I say yes.” 

A gentle hand trailed down Sonia’s face before lightly tapping her on the nose. Raihan smiled a smile so warm, so soft, that it melted Sonia’s heart.

As if realizing something, Raihan glanced down at his phone resting on the coffee table. He grimaced when he read the time across the screen. 2:35am. With a sigh and a pout, he threw Sonia an annoyed glance. Or as annoyed as he could manage with the way his smile still reached his eyes.

“Looks like I’m going to be wrecked tomorrow.”

“Call out sick.” Sonia stated, nonchalantly.

“Gym Leader’s don’t call out sick.”

Sonia proceeded to put on her best sick impression. “Hey guys, got a super bad stomach bug this morning, I’m not gonna make it in.”

The man cocked an amused eyebrow her way, watching her little display. Sonia tilted her head to the side with a smug grin. “What? It’s not like you’re going to have gym challengers this early into the season.”

“...You’re a bad influence, you know that?”

Sonia nestled her head into his neck, smiling up at him with faux innocence. “A bad influence with a side of pancakes.”

Sonia giggled as the man gave her a half-hearted glare, clearly amused by her behavior. Defeated, Raihan threw an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into another kiss, which Sonia gladly accepted. Was this a blessing sent from above? Was the world finally cutting her a break from her loneliness and isolation? Would things work out this time? Sonia didn’t know. Nor did she care. She was too busy being wrapped up in the warmth of a blossoming romance. And for now, she was happily along for the ride.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a challenge to myself to see if I could write a one-shot in three days. Ended up writing it in two. Take THAT, procrastination! Though I also wrote this because I'm struggling with major writers block for another piece I've been working on so, oops.
> 
> Aside from that, I felt like doing something a little different here and pairing two characters that I never really see written together. Just wanted to spice things up, you know. Anyways, constructive criticism welcomed.


End file.
